Moffitt researchers identify gene variations that may help predict cancer treatment response
Four gene variants found in non-small cell lung cancer patients indicate an increased risk of death
2013-08-09
(Press-News.org) Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center have identified four inherited genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients that can help predict survival and treatment response. Their findings could help lead to more personalized treatment options and improved outcomes for patients.
The researchers analyzed DNA sequence variations in 651 non-small cell lung cancer patients, paying close attention to 53 inflammation-related genes. They found that four of the top 15 variants associated with survival were located on one specific gene (TNFRSF10B). In the study, these variants increased the risk of death as much as 41 percent. The researchers also found that patients with these gene variations had a greater risk of death if their treatment plans included surgery without chemotherapy compared to patients who were treated with chemotherapy following surgery.
"There are few validated biomarkers that can predict survival or treatment response for patients with non-small cell lung cancer," said study lead author Matthew B. Schabath, Ph.D., assistant member of the Cancer Epidemiology Program at Moffitt. "Having a validated genetic biomarker based on inherited differences in our genes may allow physicians to determine the best treatments for an individual patient based on their unique genetics."
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for both men and women. Additionally, non-small cell lung cancer represents more than 80 percent of lung cancer diagnoses.
"Non-small cell lung cancer has an extremely poor five-year survival rate. Only about 16 percent of all patients survive for five years and tragically, only about four percent of patients with late stage disease live longer than five years," explained Schabath. "Part of the difficulty in treating lung cancer is the genetic diversity of patients and their tumors. Using a personalized medicine approach to match the best treatment option to a patient based on his or her genetics will lead to better outcomes."
The researchers noted that there has been no published data examining the association of these four specific variants on cancer risk or outcome, although studies have reported associations with other gene variants in the same gene family as TNFRSF10B.
The study can be found in the July issue of Carcinogenesis.
###
The work was supported by funding from the State of Florida through the James & Esther King Biomedical Research Program (09KN-15), a National Institutes of Health SPORE grant (P50 CA119997), an American Cancer Society grant (93-032-13), and a grant from the National Cancer Institute (5 UC2 CA 148322-02).
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Since 1999, Moffitt has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Hospitals" for cancer. With more than 4,200 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact on the state of nearly $2 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, twitter and YouTube.
Media release by Florida Science Communications
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2013-08-08
Before the digital age, neuroscientists got their information in the library like the rest of us. But the field's explosion has created nearly 2 million papers -- more data than any researcher can read and absorb in a lifetime.
That's why a UCLA team has invented research maps. Equipped with an online app, the maps help neuroscientists quickly scan what is already known and plan their next study. The Aug. 8 edition of Neuron describes the findings.
"Information overload is the elephant in the room that most neuroscientists pretend to ignore," explained principal ...
2013-08-08
Damage or loss of photoreceptor cells is one of main culprits of visual impairment in many retinal degenerative diseases. Pharmacological treatment and surgical intervention are traditionally used to treat these retinal diseases, but they are not curative. It has been increasingly recognized that Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells may differentiate into several cell lineages from all three germ layers. However, the capacity of Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into retinal progenitor cells remains undetermined. A new study reported in the Neural ...
2013-08-08
Preeclampsia is a relatively common pregnancy disorder, characterized by primary hypertension and proteinuria. In patients with severe preeclampsia, eclampsia can develop, causing nervous system symptoms and signs. In the clinic, some patients with preeclampsia suffer from eclampsia even with minimal blood pressure changes. Thus, the pathogenesis of hypertensive encephalopathy cannot fully explain the epilepsy-like attacks in eclampsia patients. We know that changes in neurotransmitter levels in the brain play an important role in epilepsy-like attacks. A recent study published ...
2013-08-08
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Oxidative stress is characterized by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which can induce mitochondrial DNA mutations, damage the mitochondrial respiratory chain, alter membrane permeability, and influence Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial defense systems. All these changes are implicated in the development of these neurodegenerative diseases, mediating ...
2013-08-08
PHILADELPHIA (August 5, 2013) – Inhibitory self control – not picking up a cigarette, not having a second drink, not spending when we should be saving – can operate without our awareness or intention.
That was the finding by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They demonstrated through neuroscience research that inaction-related words in our environment can unconsciously influence our self-control. Although we may mindlessly eat cookies at a party, stopping ourselves from ...
2013-08-08
Modern proteins exhibit an impressive degree of structural diversity, which has been well characterized, but very little is known about how and when over the course of evolution 3D protein structures arose. In a study published by Cell Press August 8 in Structure, researchers resurrected 4-billion-year-old Precambrian proteins in the laboratory and gained novel insights into protein evolution by analyzing their X-ray crystal structures. This method has revealed a remarkable degree of structural similarity among proteins since life first evolved on this planet, and it represents ...
2013-08-08
Engineered rice protects against rotavirus
For children and immune compromised adults in developing countries, diarrheal disease induced by rotavirus can be life threatening. Current rotaviral vaccines are highly effective in the Western world, but are not as effective in developing countries. Additionally, these vaccines are not appropriate for use outside of a very narrow age window or in immune compromised individuals. In the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation Yoshikazu Yuki and colleagues at the University of Tokyo report the development of ...
2013-08-08
TITLE: Rice-based oral antibody fragment prophylaxis and therapy against rotavirus infection
AUTHOR CONTACT: Daisuke Tokuhara
The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, UNK, JPN
Phone: 81-3-5449-5271; Fax: 81-3-5449-5411; E-mail: tokuhara@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70266?key=de80321a713532149b56 END ...
2013-08-08
Cancer progression is aided by the ability of tumors to evade recognition by the immune system. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Gerard Blobe and colleagues at Duke University identify a mechanism by which tumors evade detection. Using mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma, they show that loss of the Type III TGF-β receptor (TGFBR3) in tumors promotes cancer progression by altering signaling in tumor-associated immune cells.
This study supports the use of TGF-β inhibitors to enhance the efficacy of therapies that promote immune-mediated ...
2013-08-08
India experienced a demographic transformation several thousand years ago, from a region in which mixture between highly different populations was common to one in which mixture even between closely related groups became rare. The finding, which will be published online on August 8, 2013 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, published by Cell Press, provides new information about the peopling of India and improves our understanding of the changes that led to the present-day structure of Indian populations.
"Prior to the population mixture and as recently as a few ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Moffitt researchers identify gene variations that may help predict cancer treatment response
Four gene variants found in non-small cell lung cancer patients indicate an increased risk of death
